Greta is a German and Scandinavian short form of Margareta, which comes from the Greek margarites and means "pearl". Screen legend Greta Garbo made it glamorous in the 1920s and 1930s, and climate activist Greta Thunberg has given the name a new association for today's parents. Greta ranked number 757 in 2000, peaked at number 575 in 2015 and has drifted down to number 908 in 2025.